Things to Do

Get Close to Nature in Doss, Texas

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Tony Maples Photography

 

Come to Doss, Texas and be immediately astounded by the peace, serenity, and tranquility in such a stunningly picturesque valley. Located among the hills between Fredericksburg and Mason, Doss is primarily a farming and ranching community.

Founding of a Hill Country Paradise

Doss Quiet Hill Ranch Bluebonnets

Photo: Facebook/Quiet Hill Ranch

Doss was founded by brothers Thomas and John Doss who saw the potential in this very scenic valley amidst the hills and canyons. They built a dam, a grist mill, a distillery, and their home in Doss Valley. They bought acres upon acres of the surrounding countryside and set their cattle out to graze. Unfortunately, luck was not with them. Floods destroyed the dam, damaged the grist mill, and later that year a fire destroyed their home. Distraught and disillusioned, the brothers left the area.

But their spirit and enthusiasm for this Hill Country paradise survived. The Doss heirs, also realizing the potential of such a beautiful and fertile land, later returned and settled in the valley of creeks and springs. Other settlers followed and for over a hundred years, descendants of these original pioneers owned and worked the land and prospered as farmers and ranchers. Visit the historic, Lange’s Mill, which was built in 1849 by the Doss brothers.  It was later sold to William Lange and today stands as a symbol of Doss’s spirit and heritage.

Farming and Agriculture

Doss Texas Longhorn

Photo: Flickr/TimothyJ

The majority of farms in the Doss area are working farms that grow and produce such staples as corn, pecans, fruits or cotton and grains.  The majority of Texas’s annual revenue is from farming and ranching, producing livestock products, and breeding.  The rest is mainly from vegetable crops, grains, and cotton.

Because the land is so vital, Texas farmers and ranchers have a long history of voluntary conservation. The practice of living off the land has been a great incentive to preserve and conserve. They have been resourceful in use and maintenance of available resources. Farmers learned to grow more crops on less acreage with the same water usage as in the 1950s.

Doss’ Wildlife

Hunting Doss Texas

Photo: Pexels

Wildlife is abundant in the area and many landowners have opened up their lands and buildings to hunting and game enthusiasts. Wildlife management led to the conservation and resurgence of various wildlife species. As a result, this area has the highest whitetail deer population in the world.

Some of the farms and ranches offer hunting and non-hunting accommodations. The residents of Doss, all 225 of them according to the 2000 census, have resourcefully maintained this Hill Country paradise in the most pristine condition possible for all future generations to enjoy.

Guest Ranches

Quiet Hills Ranch

Photo: Facebook/Quiet Hill Ranch

For quiet and solitude in a serene, pictorial setting visit one of Doss’s many guest ranches or cottages.  Hidden Springs Ranch offers rustic cottages with long, covered porches, wood-beamed ceilings, and even a wood-burning stove. Walk along the creek, take in the pastoral countryside, enjoy a quiet moonlit night on the porch.

At Quiet Hill Ranch you can enjoy nature, go bird watching, photograph wildlife, swim, hike, visit the Quiet Hill Observatory or just sit and relax on that spacious porch and enjoy the scenic Texas Hill Country.

Places to Hunt

White Ghost Ranch Deer

Photo: Facebook/White Ghost Ranch/Brent Geistweidt

For wildlife hunting, book a stay at Panther Creek Ranch, which has been in the family for over five generations or at White Ghost Ranch where they specialize in whitetail deer that have been fed on high-grade protein feed to produce top quality trophy deer. The first hunt after Texas recently passed a law to allow charities to take critically ill or disabled young people hunting to fulfill their wish, was hosted at White Ghost Ranch.  The young Minnesotan selected had a wish to hunt in Texas because there were more deer in Texas than in Minnesota.

Good Eats

Hill Top Cafe

Photo: Facebook/Hill Top Cafe

For down-home Texas country cooking, look no further than the Hill Top Café nearby. You will find not only some Texas comfort foods but also Greek and Cajun cuisine. And, prepare to be entertained by proprietor and iconic bluesman, Johnny Nicholas of Asleep at the Wheel fame. His live blues music as well as the featured “Songwriters in the Round” series keeps this Hill Country area well entertained.

Stop and browse thru the produce at Sunshine and HoneyBee Farms, a large family-owned and operated farm specializing in a variety of organic fruits and vegetables.

Farming Doss Texas

Photo: Facebook/Quiet Hill Ranch

Living off the land is the nucleus of Doss’s main economy. Doss truly reflects positively on the spirit of conservation of Texas farmers and ranchers. Not only have they conserved the land and its resources, but they have preserved the basics of the simpler life and the essence of agrarian living.  Visit this peaceful, picturesque, serene and tranquil valley where you can experience the best of what Texas was founded upon:  farming, ranching, and a big dose of genuine Texas hospitality.